Support for small tools



Oct. 21, 1958 F. DE CURTIS SUPPORT FOR SMALL TooLs Filed May 15, 1957 ATTYS United States Patent lice 2,856,799 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 2,856,799 SUPPRT FOR SMALL` TOOLS Frank De Curtis, Queens Village, N. Y. Application May 13, 1957, Serial No. 658,731 6 Claims. (Cl. 7719) This invention relates to apparatus for supporting any of a variety of hand tools in such a way that they will be correctly oriented for operation on a work piece. An object ofthe invention is to provide a tool support which is simple but effective for the purpose. There are many doit-yourself individuals who have neither space nor money for heavy machine tools, but who like to make things by the use of small portable hand-tools. According to the invention, apparatus is provided for gripping various kinds of small tools and holding them in correct position for operation on a work piece. For this purpose variously shaped holders for tools of different shapes are provided for selective mounting on a horizontal bracket which is adjustable and which in turn is supported on a standard projecting up from a base. The base. and a work-holding device, such as an ordinary vise, are mounted on a table or bench in convenient spatial relation to.l each other. The bracket with a tool-holder mounter therein can be adjusted to locate a tool mounted in the holder in the right' position with respect toa piece of Work held by the work-holder.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference. may be had to the following description, of which- Figure l1 is a the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational View on a larger scale, of some of the members shown in Figure l, portions being broken away;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the ure l but on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the bracket shown n Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan View of a tool holder shown in Figure l, but on a larger scale;

Figure 6 is a side elevation holder; and

Figure 7 is a front elevation in Figure 6.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises a workholding device such as an ordinary vise lll mounted on a table or bench 12. Also mounted on the table 12 is the base 14 of a tool support adapted to hold a tool such as a power drill` properly oriented with respect to a workpiece gripped by the vise 1li.

A standard 16 extends vertically upward from the base 14. The standard `carries a head having an upper member 13 and a lower member 26. The upper member 1S is slidably adjustable on the standard but is usually secured thereto by a setscrew 22. The lower member Ztl is slidable on the standard 16 and is yieldingly held up against the bottom of the upper member 1S by a compres sion spring 24 which surrounds and is supported by a rod 26. The upper end of this rod extends through the upper member 18 and is capped by a nut 2b to support it. As hereinafter described, the lower member 20 is adapted to support a tool and to be moved downward along the standard 16 against the pressure of the spring 24 so as to perspective view of apparatus embodying bracket shown in Figof another kind of tool of the tool holder shown cause the tool to move therewith downward to a workpiece held in the vise 10. To operate the lower member a lever 30 is pivoted at an intermediate point 32 to the member 20 and at its end to a link 34 at 36. The other end of the link 34 is pivoted to the upper member 18 at 38. The end portion 40 of the lever remote from` the pivot .34.'- serves as a handle for manipulation of the lever. When the handle is pulled downward it moves the lower member 20 downwards.

The lower member is provided with two parallel horizontal bores to reecive and support a bracket. As shown, these bores are in two tubular elements 42 which are parts of or are permanently secured to the lower member Z0.

Slidably iitted in the bores are parallel rods 44 which with a crosshead 46 at an end thereof constitute the bracket supported by the head. A setscrew 47 may be employed to secure the bracket in adjusted position. As indicated in Figures 3` and 4, the crosshead is in the form of a channel piece having a bottom 48 and parallel side walls S@ and S2. The rods 44 are secured to the bottom of a crosshead near the ends thereof by any suitable means such as nuts 53 which screw on to threaded reduced ends of the rods. Midway between the junctions of the rods 44 with the crosshead is a hole 54 through the bottom 48 of the crosshead. A short tubular member 56 registers with the hole 54 and projects perpendicularly` from the bottom of the crosshead. The side walls 50 and 52 of the crosshead each have a semicircular notch 58 therein, these` notches being mid way between the junctions of the rods d4 with the crosshead. These details of structure cooperate with complemental details on tool holders so that when a tool holder is mounted on the bracket, it will be properly oriented with respect to a work-piece held in the vise 16.

A tool holder is shown in Figure 5. llt consists of a rectangular frame 6i? adapted to receive an` electric drill such as is indicated in broken lines in Figure l, or any one of a number of other hand tools.` To grip the tool, the frame 60 is provided on three sides with screws 62, 64 and 66. A slight recess 68 is provided in the fourth side of the frame to center a tool which is pressed by the opposing screw 64. A pad 70 of felt or rubber may be mounted in the recess 68 to provide a resilient cushion opposite the screw 64 to be pressed by the tool in the frame. On the outer face of the `side of the frame having the recess 68 is a cylindrical extension 72 adapted to lit in the bore of the tube- 56. A threaded end portion 74 of this extension projects beyond the end of the tube 56 to receive a nut 76 to clamp the frame 60 against the crosshead 46. Above and below the junction of the extension 72 with the frame 60 are semi-cylindrical surface elements 78 adapted to t into the notches 58` in the side walls 50 and 52 of the crosshead. rI'hese intertting elements serve tomaintaink the plane of the frame 60 parallel to or coincident with the plane defined by the two rods 44. When the rods are mounted in the bores ofthe head Ztl, theplane of the frame 6l) is held parallel to that of the table 12, and a tool properly mounted in the frame 6@ projects vertically downward.

Other forms of frames for holding tools may be employed, as for example the frame illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. This frame comprises a vertical tubular member Sil having a curvature adapted to fit in the notches SS of the crosshead 46. From the member 80 a horizontal extension 82 projects to t in the tube 56 of the bracket. The extension 82 has a threaded end portion 84 which receives a nut 86 to hold the tube 8l) against the crosshead 46 and thus to maintain the tube in a vertical position. A tool-holder having an elongated cylindrical portion 88 or shaft slidably fitted in the tube 8) may be secured in vertically adjusted position by a setscrew 90. The tool-holder has a clamping portion at the lower end of setscrew 90 while a work-piece is handle at right angles to the shank. The handle of such a tool may be clamped in the notches 102 by screws 104 and 106 threaded through the transverse piece 92.

Since tools of this kind operate by rotation, it is necessary that they are axially aligned with the shaft 8S. The front-to-rear adjustment of the tool is taken care of by the notches 102. A visual guide member or indicator 110 is provided to facilitate the aligning of the tool axis with the rod axis before the screws 104 are tightened to secure the tool in place. The guide member 110 is the lower extremity of a small rod 112 which fits slidably in an axial bore 114 in the lower portion of the shaft 88. In order to avoid inaccuracies which might arise from looseness of the rod 112 in the bore 114 or from bending of the rod 112, a front-to-rear member 116 is secured to or is part of the guide member. The rearwardly extending portion of the member 116 is adapted to engage a notch 120 in a transverse frame member 122 which is secured to or is a part of the members 94 and 96. A screw 124 is provided to hold the guide member in any position of vertical adjustment, the forward portion of the member 116 serving as a convenient handle for raising and lowering the guide member. When the guide member is not in use it is secured in its upper position to be out of the Way. When it is lowered so that the rear portion of the member 116 rests in the notch 120, it serves as a gauge in centering the tool.

To accommodate work-pieces of different sizes, the bracket assembly consisting of the heads 18, 20, the bracket members 44, 46, and the tubular member 80` can be raised or lowered as a unit on 'the upright 16.

The shaft 88 and the toolgripping members attached thereto may be supported in an elevated position by the being adjusted in the vise 10 below. When the screw 90 is backed off to release the rod 88 the tool-holding assembly which includes the rod can be manually rotated and moved downward against the work-piece. The tool-holder maintains the tool correctly oriented with respect to the work-piece while the tool operates thereon.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a table,

a vise secured to said table, and means mounted on said table to support a tool in correct operative relation to a work piece gripped in said vise, said means comprising a base xed on said table, a standard extending vertically upward from said base, a vertically adjustable head secured to said standard, a bracket member projecting horizontally from said head and adjustably secured thereto, and a frame for gripping a tool detachably secured to said bracket member, said frame and bracket member having complemental surface portions which interengage when said frame is secured to said member to hold said frame member correctly oriented with respect to said vise, said head having two horizontal parallel bores at the same level, said bracket member having two parallel rods slidably fitted in said bores respectively and a crosshead connecting one end of each of said rods.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, said complemental surfaces being on said crosshead and frame respectively.

3. Apparatus as in claim l, said head comprising upper and lower major parts slidable on said standard, said bores being in said lower part, means for releasably securing said upper part to said standard, spring tension means yieldingly holding said lower part up against said upper part, and manually operable means for moving said lower part down from said upper part.

'4. In a tool-supporting apparatus which includes a base, an upright extending up from the base, and a head on said upright having two horizontal parallel bores; a bracket member comprising two parallel rods, a crossiead secured to an end of each said rod, said crosshead consisting of a channel with a bottom and side walls, said rods being secured to the bottom of said channel near the ends thereof, said channel having a hole through said bottom midway between said rods, a short tube secured to said bottom in line with said hole and extending between and parallel to said rods, said side walls having a semicircular notch therein adjacent to said hole, and a tool-holding frame adapted to be detachably secured to said bracket in a properly oriented position, said frame having a semi-cylindrical surface portion adapted to t into said notches and a cylindrical projection from said surface portion adapted to t in and extend through said hole and short tube.

5. In an apparatus for supporting a rotary tool of the type having a handle arranged at right angles to the shank of the tool, a base, an upright extending up from said base, a bracket assembly adjustably secured to said upright, said bracket assembly including a vertical tubular element, a tool-holding member including an elongated cylindrical portion slidably fitted in said tubular element and a tool-clamping portion at the lower end of said cylindrical portion for holding a tool handle horizontally, and a vertically adjustable indicator projecting down from said cylindrical portion as a visual guide for centering a tool gripped by said clamping portion of the tool-holding member.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, said cylindrical portion of the tool-holding member having an axial bore extending up from the lower end thereof, said clamping portion having a notched cross-bar near the lower end thereof, said indicator including a vertical rod slidably fitted in said bore and a horizontal rod adapted to engage in the notch of said cross bar, and means for securing said indicator in vertically adjusted positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 612,946 Hotchkiss Oct. 25, 1898 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,549 Canada Aug. 12, 1952 

